Foldable-portable stove

ABSTRACT

A foldable portable stove comprises sheet metal side, rear and front walls having integral hinge connections to a top grid structure for supporting the article to be cooked and a bottom structure for supporting a source of heat such as canned heat. The top grid structure and the bottom structure are formed lengths of round cross section wire. When the assembly is folded the parts overlie within the peripheral outline of the top grid structure.

United States Patent 151 3,683,886 Metzner et al. [45] Aug. 15, 1972 [54] FOLDABLE-PORTABLE STOVE 2,780,215 2/1957 Vacanti, Jr ..126/9 R [72] Inventors: Irving L. Manner, Dover Ni; 1,247,806 11/1917 Ferdon ..l26/9 R X Daniel C. (Yeoman Pound Ridge 1,404,808 1] 1922 Taylor ..126/9 R 2,424,665 7/1947 Pope, Sr ..126/9 R [73] Assignee: Colgate-Palmolive Company, New Primary Examiner-Charles J. Myhre York, NY. Attorney-Strauch, Nolan, Neale, Nies & Kurz [22] Filed: Nov. 3, 1970 r [57] ABSTRACT [2]] Appl' 86458 A foldable portable stove comprises sheet metal side, rear and front walls having integral hinge connections 52 U.S. Cl. ..12'6/9 R I w a p grid Structure for supporting the article to be 51 Int. Cl. ..F24c l/l6' cooked'and a bottom Structure for Supporting a source 58 Field of Search ..l26/9 29 30 3s 25 heat Such as canned heat- The t0P grid smlcwre 1 and the bottom structure are formed lengths of round cross section wire. When the assembly is folded the [-56] References Cited parts overlie within the peripheral outline of the top UNITED STATES PATENTS grid Structure- 2,559,243 7/1951 Brown ..'.....l26/9 R 14 Claims, 9 Drawing Figures FOLDABLE-PORTABLE STOVE The invention relates to a foldable portable stove which is composed of hinged portions enabling it to assume a relatively flat folded condition for packing or storage or an unfolded erected operative condition.

Foldable portable stoves in general are well known and in fact many patents have been published showing different structures of this type. For example U.S. Pat. No. 1,323,567 shows a foldable stove that has been commercially available for some time.

The present invention is directed to a stove of this type of improved construction composed of a minimum of separate parts and wherein the various elements are hingedly connected in a novel manner for relatively rapid and easy transition between a folded compact condition and a fully erect operative condition, without requiring special or added fasteners, and this is a major object of the invention.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel foldable portable stove assembly that is of sturdy construction and has good ventilation for maintaining reduced heating of the side walls to minimize the danger of burning the operator.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel foldable stove assembly consisting essentially of sheet metal and round cross section wire components hingedly connected by integral formed extensions of the sheet metal components.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel foldable stove assembly wherein a top grid structure is provided for supporting the article to be cooked and an integral internal bottom structure generally parallel to the top grid structure is adapted to mount a source of heat below the grid.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a novel foldable stove assembly wherein sheet metal side and rear walls are hinged to a top wire grid structure, a bottom support for a source of heat comprises a formed length of wire hinged to the rear wall and supported in sockets in the side walls, and a front wall is hinged to the support.

Further objects of the invention will appear as the description proceeds in connection with the appended claims and the annexed drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a generally perspective view showing a stove according to a preferred embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view with the front wall open;

FIG. 4 is an elevation in section showing internal structure;

FIG. 4A is a fragmentary section on line 4A-4A of FIG. 4;

FIG. 5 is a top plan showing the stove in completely unfolded form;

FIGS. 6 and 7 are top plan views showing the stove in successive partly folded conditions; and

wire or rod components. It comprises two parallel opposite vertical sheet metal side walls 11 and I2, a'sheet metal rear wall 13 and a sheet metal front wall 14. The

top of the stove comprises a two section grid that is substantially horizontal and consists in the preferred embodiment of two coplanar suitably bent sinuous lengths of circular cross section uniform diameter wire 15 and 16. If desired the grid structure could be made up of a single length of wire suitably bent back and forth.

Grid section 15 comprises a length of wire that is bent to provide three spaced parallel portions l7, l8 and 19 that areperpendicular to and extend between the side walls. Grid section 15 includes at one side a short portion 21 aligned with a similar short portion 22 connecting the adjacent ends of portions 18 and 19. Similarly the grid section 15 includes at the other end a short end portion 23 and an aligned short portion 24 interconnecting the adjacent ends of portions 17 and 18. Gridsection 16 is preferably identical with similar portions identifiedby similar reference characters.

At the upper end of side wall 1], sheet metal extensions are curved to from cylindrical hinge portions 25, 26, 27 and 28 that rotatably surround the aligned grid portions 21, 22 at that side whereby the wall 11 is hinged to the stove top. Similarly at the upper end of wall 12 sheet metal extensions are curved to form cylindrical hinge portions 29., 31, 32 and 33 that rotatably surround the aligned grid portions 23, 24 at that side whereby wall 12 is hinged to the stove top on an axis parallel to the hinge axis of wall 11.

The upper end 34 of rear wall 1.3 'is substantially vertical, and the lower end 35 of that wall is inclinedpreferably formed from a single length of circular cross section wire. This bottom structure comprises a rearward portion 3 9'that extends perpendicular to the side walls, parallel side portions 41 and 42 of equal length that are bent inwardly toward each other to provide aligned short portions 43 and 44 parallel to portion 39. At their inner ends portions 43 and 44 are bent rear wardly to provide angular portions 45 and 46 of equal length. that terminate near the central portion of the bottom structure in reversely bent sections 47 and 48 having at their ends upwardly extending projections 49 and 51.

Adjacent rear end 39 of the bottom 38 the lower end of rear wall 13 is formed with a downwardly open recess 52 which, see FIG. 3, is contoured to fit one side of a cylindrical can 53 of solid alcohol or like fuel commonly known as canned heat, the can resting at its rear on bottom portion 39. The other side of the can seats 7 on bottom sections 47 and 48 and is laterally contained FIG. 8 is a top plan view showing the stove complete-' ly folded.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS by projections 49 and 51, and this mounts and locates the can 53 centrally below the top grid 15, 16.

Side wall 11 is formed (see FIG. 5) with inwardly projecting integral cut out sections 54 and 55 defining on the inside of the wall oppositely facing parallel ledges 56 and 57. Similarly side wall 12is formed with inwardly projecting integral cut out sections 58 and 59 defining on the inside of that wall oppositely facing parallel ledges 61 and 62. When the stove is in the operative erected position of FIG. 1-4, the opposite edges of the inclined portion 35 of rear wall 13 are disposed between the ledge pairs 56, 57 and 61, 62 which are preferably laterally aligned with each associated pair spaced apart the thickness of wall 13. Each associated pair of ledges is inclined at the same angle whereby wall 13 is securely held therebetween at the desired angle in the erected assembly with its opposite side edges in substantial contact with the inner surfaces of side walls 11 and 12.

Side walls 11 and 12 are formed near their front edges with inwardly projecting integral cut-out sections 63 and 64 defining parallel inclined ledges 65 and 66 adapted to serve as stops for limiting inward movement of front wall 14 which has at its lower end extensions 67 and 68 bent to form cylindrical hinge portions pivotally surrounding the cylindrical bottom portions 43 and 44. Wall 14 is thus supported wholly by and hinged on the bottom structure 38 and swingable between the upright closed location of FIG. 1 and the open location shown in FIG. 3.

At its lower end wall 11 is formed with two spaced cut-out sections 71 and 72 forming internal aligned upwardly open U-shaped sockets 73 and 74. Similarly wall 12 is formed with two spaced cut-out sections 75 and 76 forming internal aligned upwardly open U- shaped sockets 77 and 78. The closed lower ends of sockets 73, 74, 77 and 78 lie in a plane, and the opposite sides 41 and 42 of the bottom element 38 are adapted for force fit into the respective socket pairs 73, 74 and 77, 7 8.

FIG. -8 illustrate how the stove, may be folded to a compact substantially flat condition. FIG. 5 shows the assembly as dismantled from the erected condition of FIG. .1-4, with all of the component side, top and bottom elements lying substantially in a plane, the side walls 11 and 12 extending outwardly from the' top grid structure 15, 16. The view in FIG. 5 is toward the un derside of the grid structure.

First the side walls 11 and 12 are swung upwardly out of the plane of the drawing about their hinged connections to the top grid structure to overlie the grid structure and overlap each other, and the front wall 14 is swung downwardly out of the plane of the drawing about its hinged connection with bottom structure 38 to underlie bottom structure 38. This is shown in FIG. 6.

Next the front wall 14 and bottom structure 38 are swung together upwardly out of the plane of the drawing about the hinged connection of the bottom structure to the rear wall 13 to overlie the rear wall as shown in FIG. 7.

Finally the overlying front wall 14, bottom structure 38 and rear wall 13 are swung together upwardly out of the plane of the drawing about the hinged connection of the rear wall to the grid portion 16 so that the parts assume the compact fully folded condition of FIG. 8.

It will be noted in FIG. 8 that all of the other portions of the stove are folded to lie within the peripheral outline of the top grid structure. In the folded condition, the projections 49 and 51 extend within outwardly depressed regions 81 and 82 respectively in rear wall 13 and this aids in attaining a flatter final fold condition. These depressions are formed with bottom openings 83 and 84 which may be used to receive mounting bolts or the like as to mount the stove on a fixed support.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning andrange of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

What is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

' 1. A foldable portable stove assembly consisting essentially only of a formed wire top grid structure, op-

' posed sheet metal side walls and a sheet metal rear wall all hinged to said top grid structure, a formed wire bottom grid structure having detachable support connection to said side walls in the erected stove and a front wall having a hinge connection to said bottom grid structure, said assembly when folded having said walls and bottom grid structure in overlying relation substantially within theperipheral outline of said top grid structure.

2. A foldable portable stove comprising a substantially horizontal top grid structure, rear and opposed side walls hinged to said grid structure, a support structure for a source of heat hinged to the rear wall, means providing a detachable connection between said support structure and said side walls for maintaining said rear and side walls and said structures in relatively fixed relation to the erected stove and a front wall hinged to said support structure.

3. The stove defined in claim 2, wherein said top grid structure is composed of wire formed substantially in a plane, and said rear and side walls are sheet metal elements having integral hinge formations pivotally mounted on spaced regions of said grid structure.

4. The stove defined in claim 2, wherein said wire is of uniform round cross section.

5. The stove defined in claim 2, wherein cooperating means is provided on said rear wall and said support structure for .mounting and locating a source of heat beneath said top grid structure.

6. A stove as defined in claim 2, wherein said detachable connection comprises internal upwardly sockets on said side walls for receiving side portions of said support structure in the erected condition of said stove.

7. The stove defined in claim 2, wherein said support structure and all of said walls are foldable to overlie said grid structure to provide a flat folded assembly having a peripheral extent no greater than said top grid structure.

8. A foldable portable stove comprising a substantially horizontal top grid structure, rear and opposed side walls hinged to said grid structure, a support structure for a source of heat hinged to the rear wall, said support structure consisting of a single length of formed wire having a rear transverse section pivoted within integral hinge extensions of the rear wall, and a front wall hinged to said support structure.

9. A stove as defined in claim 8, wherein said support structure has parallel side sections, and said side walls have inwardly displaced cut-out regions forming upwardly open sockets adapted to receive said side sections.

10. The stove defined in claim 8, wherein said support structure has aligned transverse front sections upon which integral hinge extensions of said front wall are pivoted.

11. The stove defined in claim 10, wherein said support structure comprises rearwardlyextending converging sections terminating in upstanding projections adapted to restrain movement of a source of heat seated on said support structure.

12. A foldable portable stove comprising a substantially horizontal top grid structure, rear and opposed side walls hinged to said grid structure, said rear wall being sheet metal and having a downwardly and forwardly inclined section, retainer means provided at the inner sides of said side walls for engaging the side edges of said rear wall for maintaining said rear and side walls in predetermined assembly in the erected stove, a support structure for a source of heat hinged to the rear wall, and a front wall hinged to said support structure.

13. The stove defined in claim 12, wherein said side walls are sheet metal and said retainer means is formed by inwardly displaced cut-out regions of said side walls.

14. A foldable portable stove comprising a substantially horizontal topgrid structure, rear and opposed side walls hinged to said grid structure, a support structure for a source of heat hinged to the rear wall, and a front wall hinged to said support structure, said support structure and all of walls being foldable to overlie said grid structure to provide a flat folded assembly having a peripheral extent no greater than said top grid structure, and said side walls being sheet metal elements that in the folded assembly fold over each other onto the top grid structure, said rear wall being a sheet metal element that overlies the folded side walls in the folded assembly, and said support structure being a formed wire overlying said rear wall in the folded assembly said support structure having retainer projections and said rear wall having depressions receiving said projections. 

1. A foldable portable stove assembly consisting essentially only of a formed wire top grid structure, opposed sheet metal side walls and a sheet metal rear wall all hinged to said top grid structure, a formed wire bottom grid structure having detachable support connection to said side walls in the erected stove and a front wall having a hinge connection to said bottom grid structure, said assembly when folded having said walls and bottom grid structure in overlying relation substantially within the peripheral outline of said top grid structure.
 2. A foldable portable stove comprising a substantially horizontal top grid structure, rear and opposed side walls hinged to said grid structure, a support structure for a source of heat hinged to the rear wall, means providing a detachable connection between said support structure and said side walls for maintaining said rear and side walls and said structures in relatively fixed relation to the erected stove and a front wall hinged to said support structure.
 3. The stove defined in claim 2, wherein said top grid structure is composed of wire formed substantially in a plane, and said rear and side walls are sheet metal elements having integral hinge formations pivotally mounted on spaced regions of said grid structure.
 4. The stove defined in claim 2, wherein said wire is of uniform round cross section.
 5. The stove defined in claim 2, wherein cooperating means is provided on said rear wall and said support structure for mounting and locating a source of heat beneath said top grid structure.
 6. A stove as defined in claim 2, wherein said detachable connection comprises internal upwardly sockets on said side walls for receiving side portions of said support structure in the erected condition of said stove.
 7. The stove defined in claim 2, wherein said support structure and all of said walls are foldable to overlie said grid structure to provide a flat folded assembly having a peripheral extent no greater than said top grid structure.
 8. A foldable portable stove comprising a substantially horizontal top grid structure, rear and opposed side walls hinged to said grid structure, a support structure for a source of heat hinged to the rear wall, said support structure consisting of a single length of formed wire having a rear transverse section pivoted within integral hinge extensions of the rear wall, and a front wall hinged to said support structure.
 9. A stove as defined in claim 8, wherein said support structure has parallel side sections, and said side walls have inwardly displaced cut-out regions forming upwardly open sockets adapted to receive said side sections.
 10. The stove defined in claim 8, wherein said support structure has aligned transverse front sections upon which integral hinge extensions of said front wall are pivoted.
 11. The stove defined in claim 10, wherein said support structure comprises rearwardly extending converging sections terminating in upstanding projections adapted to restrain movement of a source of heat seated on said support structure.
 12. A foldable portable stove comprising a substantially horizontal top grid structure, rear and opposed side walls hinged to said grid structure, said rear wall being sheet metal and having a downwardly and forwardly inclined section, retainer means provided at the inner sides of said side walls for engaging the side edges of said rear wall for maintaining said rear and side walls in predetermined assembly in the erected stove, a support structure for a source of heat hinged to the rear wall, and a front wall hinged to said support structure.
 13. The stove defined in claim 12, wherein said side walls are sheet metal and said retainer means is formed by inwardly displaced cut-out regions of said side walls.
 14. A foldable portable stove comprising a substantially horizontal top grid structure, rear and opposed side walls hinged to said grid structure, a support structure for a source of heat hinged to the rear wall, and a front wall hinged to said support structure, said support structure and all of walls being foldable to overlie said grid structure to provide a flat folded assembly having a peripheral extent no greater than said top grid structure, and said side walls being sheet metal elements that in the folded assembly fold over each other onto the top grid structure, said rear wall being a sheet metal element that overlies the folded side walls in the folded assembly, and said support structure being a formed wire overlying said rear wall in the folded assembly said support structure having retainer projections and said rear wall having depressions receiving said projections. 